Pedestal-table-locking device.



Patented May 30, 1905.

PATENT GFFICE.

I EMIL TYDEN, OF HASTINGS, MICHIGAN.

PEDESTAL-TABLE-LOCKING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,935, dated May 30, 1905.

Application tiled August l, 1904- Serial No. 219,141.

l'o ail whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL TYDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hastings, in

the county of Barry and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pedestal-Table-Locking Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,form ing a part thereof.

This invention relates to pedestal eXtension-tables and the devices for locking them together and causing the pedestal members to be fully closed from top to bottom when the table is closed together.

It consists of the features of construction set out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the middle portion, including the pedestal of a pedestal extension-table having the features of this invention, the parts being shown in closed and locked position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the members engaged at the bottom of the pedestal. Fig. 3 is a section at the line 3 3 on Fig. 2.

' The two table members 1 1 comprise and have rigid with them their respective pedestal members 2 and 2a and are connected by the customary extension-slides, of which one appears at 3, and which carry the crossbar 4, to which the center leg 5 is secured in the customary manner. For locking the two members of the pedestal together I provide a catch 6 and a catch hook or eye 7 at the lower end of the pedestal members 2 and 2, respectively, and a similar catch and catch hook or eye 6a and 7 a at the upper part, respectively, of the pedestal members. The catches are pivoted to the pedestal member upon which they are carried and are each stopped at substantially horizontal position, free to swing upward when their noses encounter their respective catch-hooks on the opposite pedestal member, so that they may become engaged with the latter by gravity. The catches 6 and 6a are preferably duplicated at opposite sides of the center leg, so that they may engage the opposite pedestal member at both sides of the middle to draw the two members together without liability to cramping or side strain. The two catches 6 and 6:L are connected by a link 9, pivotally attached to them both and eX- tending up under the tableetop, where it is adapted to be engaged by the horizontal arm 10 of the bell-crank lever 10, fulcrumed on the opposite table member and having its short arm upstanding for connection by means of a link 11 with a hand-lever 12, also fulcrumed on that member of the table. In the construction illustrated the lower latches 6 are stopped at horizontal position by their short tails 6b, projecting under the edge of the pivot-bracket 60, and the upper latches 65L are similarly stopped by the pins (5d-by means of which the latches are engaged, reaching the end of the slots 9b in the links 9. The center leg has its caster 13 provided with a long spindle 14, which extends up through the leg and emerges above the upper end thereof through the cross-bar 4 in position to be overhung by the horizontal arm 10 of the bell-crank lever 10L when the two table members are near together, and from the construction shown it will be seen that by pushing on the lower end of the handle 12 the operator will force downward the said horizontal arm 10 of the bell-crank lever, thrusting downward relatively to the bearing of the leverthat is to say, to the table-the caster 13, and thereby tending to lift the table at the middle or to cause its weight to be taken b'y the caster and extension devices which are connected bythe cross-bar 4, so that the outer ends of the table and outspread legs of the pedestal tend to droop relatively, and the proximate edges of the pedestal members tend to diverge slightly from below upward instead of diverging from above downward, asis liable to be the case in ordinary construction whenevcr there is any laXity in the connections between the two members of the.

table or in the construction of the extensionslides. While pushing the lower end of the lever 12 inward to thrust the center leg do'wn and lift the center of the table, the operator is also, by the same means, pushing the two members of the table together, and the lower ends of the pedestal will come into contactfirst by reason of the divergence upward, above mentioned, and the catch and catch-hook at the lower end are related, so as to become engaged when the pedestalmembers touch at the lower end or even a little before such actual lcontact of the pedestal members occurs, if

the engagement of the catch and hook is a little below the lowest point of meeting of the edestal members. When this engagement as happened, the operator releasing the lever 12 will permit the center of the table to settle to the normal position, and thereby said members engaged at the lower catch and catch-hook, fulcruming upon each other at such engagement, will be forced together at the top by their down weight, and the upper catch and catch-hook will become engaged, and thus the table will be locked together at both ends of the pedestal. In the closing movement described the long arm 1() of the lever 10 passes under the cross-bar 9a at the upper end of the link 9, and when the table settles to normal position upon the release of the lever-handle 12 said cross-bar rests close upon the upper edge of the said lever-arm 10, and for disengaging or unlocking the two members of the table to permit its extension the operator will pull outward the lever-handle 12, thereby casting upward the lever-arm 10 of the bell-crank lever, lifting the link 9 and disengaging the catches 6 and 6LPL from the catch-hooks, so that the table may be freely extended.

I do not limit myself to the particular means herein shown for lifting the table at the center in order to cause the pedestal members to come together at the bottom before they come together at the top, or at least to insure their coming together at the bottom as soon as at the top, and such lifting at the center may obviously be accomplished by other means besides thrusting down the foot of the center leg. Neither do I limit myself to the direct engagement with each other of the catch devices on the two pedestal members, nor to the use of a lever for thrusting down the foot of the center leg, for it is obvious that other means may be resorted to for producing this movement.

It will be noticed that in the structure shown in the drawings the catches at the lower end of the pedestal are arranged to connect the pedestal members at a level just perceptibly lower than the lowest point of encounter or bearing of the pedestal members against each other at their bearingplane. The effect of this, it will be seen, is to make it possible to crowd the pedestal members together alittle, even at the bottom, in bringing them together at the top, and because of this result this is the preferred position for the lower catches. It will be ob vious, however, that the benefit/of the invention may be measurably obtained without lowering the bottom catches to this extent, and though I desire to claim this structure specifically I do not limit myself strictly to it.

I claim* 1. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the separable members of the table comprising their respective pedestal members, devices for connecting said pedestal members at the lower end; and means for upholding the table at the Vmiddle when the members are near together until the said lower end connecting devices are engaged7 adapted for lowering the table at the middle after such engagement has occurred.

2. In a pedestal eXtension-table, in combination with the separable members of the table comprising their respective pedestal members, automatically-engaging catch devices for connecting the pedestal membersat the lower end means for uplifting at will the table at the middle when the members are near together and upholding it during their approach until such lower end catches are engaged, adapted to permit the table to lower at the middle after such engagement has occurred.

3. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the separable members of the table comprising their respective pedestal members, devices for connecting the pedestal members at the lower end, and separate devices for connecting them at the upper end; means for upholding the table at the middle when the members are near together and until the pedestal members meet at the bottom and said lower end connecting devices are engaged, adapted to permit the table to be lowered at the middle until the two members meet at the top, and means for connecting the table members at the upper part.

4. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the separable members of the table comprising their respective pedestal members, devices for connecting the two members of the pedestal at the lower part, the center leg having a foot which is movable vertically, and means mounted on one member of the table for depressing such foot relatively to the leg for lifting the table at the middle, adapted to permit the table to be depressed at the middle when said connecting devices are engaged until the table members come together at the top.

5. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the two table members and the pedestal members rigid with themrespectively having their respective supporting-feet extending in opposite directions from the parting plane, means for uplifting the two pedestal members at their proximate parts which meet at the parting plane; automatically-engaging catch devices on the two pedestal members having the line of pull from one member to the other when they are engaged, a little below the lowest point of IOO IIO

bearing of the two pedestal members against each other at their parting plane, and means for connecting the table members at the upper part.

6. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the separable members of the table comprising their respective pedestal members, said table members being connected together with capacity for slight tilting to cause the pedestal members to diverge from below upward at their parting plane; automatically-engaging catches for connecting the pedestalmembers below the lowest line of contact of the pedestal members at such parting plane; means for upholding the table at the middle to cause such divergence, adapted to permit the table to be depressed at the middle to overcome such divergence, and means for connecting the table members at the upper part.

7. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the separable members of the table and the pedestal parts pertaining thereto respectively, means for connecting the pedestal members at the lower end, and means for connecting them at the upper end, and means for raising the two table members at their proximate sides er parting plane when they approach, and for lowering same after their connecting devices are engaged at the bottom.

S. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the separable members of the table and the pedestal members pertaining thereto respectively, automaticallyengaging catch devices connecting the pedestal members at the lower end; means for connecting them at the upper end; means for lifting the center of the table when the pedestal members approach, and for lowering the center after said catches are engaged, ang means for disengaging the catches at w1 9. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the separable members of the table and the pedestal members pertaining thereto respectively, means for connecting the opposite pedestal members at the upper and at the lower part, the center leg having a foot adapted to be thrust downward, and a spindle extending from said foot up through the center leg and emerging at the top thereof, one of the table membersl having an element carried by it to a position overhanging said spindle when the table members are near together, and devices operating on said element for forcing said spindle downward to lift the table at the center at will when the members are near together.

10. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the two members of the table and the pedestal members pertaining thereto respectively, catches at the lower and upper part of the pedestal mounted upon one pedestal member, and means for engaging them on the opposite pedestal member; a link connecting said catches and extending up under the table-top on one member, the center leg having a foot provided with a spindle which extends up above the top of the center leg; a lever mounted on the other table member in position to overhang the spindle for depressing vit and engage the link for lifting it when the members are near together, and means for operating the lever at will, both for depressing the spindle and for lifting the link.

11. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the two members of the table and the pedestal members pertaining thereto respectively, means for connecting the two members of the pedestal at the lower part,V

and separate means for connecting them at the upper part, the center leg having a foot which is movable vertically, and means mounted on one table member for thrusting such foot down at will to lift the"center of the table.

12. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the two members of the table and the pedestal members pertaining thereto respectively, the center leg having a foot ladapted to be thrust downward, and means extending up to the top of the center leg for so thrusting it lever connections mounted upon one member of the table under the top, comprising a hand-lever and adapted to thrust the leg downward when the hand-lever is pushed inward, and catches connecting the pedestal members near the top and bottom.

13. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the two members of the table and the pedestal members pertaining thereto respectively, latches on one member for connecting the pedestal members at the upper and lower part, and means on the opposite member for engaging such latches, the center leg having a foot-piece adapted to be thrust downward to lift the center of the table; lever connections on the opposite member of the table from that on which the latches are pivoted for operating the foot-piece, comprising a hand-lever and adapted to thrust the foot-piece downward when the hand-lever is pushed inward; connections from the latches comprising means at the upper end which become engaged with the lever mechanism on the other table member when the members are closed together, and adapted to be operated to lift the latches when the hand-lever is pulled outward.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, this 16th day of July, 1904.

EMIL TYDEN. In presence of A. C. BROWN, F. W. STEBBINS.

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